Extracorporeal Shock Wave Combined with Warm Acupuncture for External Humeral Epicondylitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave combined with warm acupuncture for external humeral epicondylitis.

Methods

Eighty-two patients with external humeral epicondylitis were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group. Patients in the control group were treated with extracorporeal shock waves while those in observation group with warm acupuncture on the basis of the control group. Patients in both groups were evaluated by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire (DASH) before and after treatment. The inflammatory factors such as IL-6, IL-10, TNF-ɑ and clinical outcomes were contrasted before and after treatment.

Results

There were statistically significant differences in VAS score, MEPS score and DASH score between the two groups before and after treatment (P<0.05), and the improvement of each score in the observation group was more obvious than that in the control group. After treatment, the inflammatory factors of the two groups were lower than those before treatment, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The decrease of inflammatory factors in the observation group was more obvious than that in the control group. The total effective rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05).

Conclusion

Extracorporeal shock wave combined with warm acupuncture could effectively improve the pain symptoms and dysfunction of external humeral epicondylitis and reduce the expression of inflammatory factors, and its effect may be better than that of extracorporeal shock wave treatment alone.

Clinical Trial Registration

ChiCTR2200066075.

Keywords:

• extracorporeal shock wave
• warm acupuncture
• external humeral epicondylitis
• a randomized clinical trial

Registration

The study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration no. ChiCTR2200066075).

Data Sharing Statement

The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Ethics Statement

This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of The First People’s Hospital of Huzhou within which this study was undertaken. And that it conforms to the provisions of the Declaration of Helsinki. The treatment scheme adopted in this clinical study is simple and safe. The data obtained remain anonymous. The collection of research data complies with national laws, regulations, and social ethics.

Disclosure

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Additional information

Funding

The work supported by The First People’s Hospital of Huzhou.